I specifically planned this look for the farmer’s market at the Ferry Building this past weekend. It’s common for us fashionistas to coordinate our outfit based on where we’re going, but this look was randomly thrown together and then saved for Saturday morning. A mix of old & new, I picked up the Pink’s maxi skirt and Franco Sarto block heels right before the trip; the moto jacket, sunglasses, and Amelia sling have been living in my closet for a while. I sat on the floor in my bedroom with a glass of wine and threw it together, simply inspired by what I would want to wear at the farmer’s market. And here it is. Ta-Da!

Spontaneous trips are the BEST, even the short ones. At the last minute, I decided to visit my twin sister in San Francisco because I essentially hadn’t seen her in 4 years [because according to my brother-in-law, one week is equivalent to one year in “twin-time”]. I also booked an impromtu trip to Cuba at the end of this month [more on that later…], and found out after that she would be home visiting while I was gone. Hence the unplanned visit to see her.

It’s truly incredible how much you can cram in to one quick weekend – especially when your hosts consider excess as a way of life! My fiance and I are still drained and completely sleep deprived from the trip, but my sister and brother-in-law made sure that not a minute was wasted. We must’ve roamed every neighborhood of San Francisco and eaten the best of every type of Cuisine [and now I have blisters on my feet and a food baby to show for it]. But I must say, the best part of the weekend [besides seeing my doppelgänger] was easily the food scene and beautiful scenery!

Here are the highlights [and my personal recommendations for visitors]:1. Tony’s PizzaAttention all pizza eaters – whether you favor New York style, Chicago style, Sicilian, Margherita, lots of cheese, no cheese, [which my brother-in-law loves and what I consider completely disgusting and unfathomable], there’s a good chance that Tony’s will have it. Who is Tony? Tony Gemignani is a 12-time world pizza champion! All of his ingredients are imported from Napoli, Italy and the pizzas are baked in 7 different regionally-specific ovens. They are located in the heart of Little Italy and truly an equal-opportunity pizzeria. Their menu has a variety of styles for all pizza-lovers, so everyone leaves happy! If you ever make it there, you MUST order the Spicy Grandma. Don’t ask, just order it. You’re welcome.2. ChinatownJust walk around. Take in the strange smells, the cultural souvenirs, and visit the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. Shop where the Asians shop. Eat what they eat. You can even buy a live chicken for only $15.00! And if you get a chance, grab some food at China Live. Best Xiao Long Bao EVER.3. La TaqueriaIf you’ve ever explored The Mission neighborhood, you will notice a sea of Mexican eateries. It’s hard to determine which one serves the best of the best, but let me make it easy for you. La Taqueria. And how do I know this? Because at night, my twin and brother-in-law become connoisseurs of Mexican food, particularly tacos and burritos. They also won the ‘Nation’s Best Burrito’ Award. NBD. Just order Carne Asada or Carnitas tacos. With guacamole, pico, and sour cream – The Works.4. Muir Woods National MonumentIf you need a quick escape from the city, head to Muir Woods. It’s only a 30-45 minute drive from San Francisco and perfect for a day trip! Muir Woods is an endless redwood forest, perfectly ideal for hiking or just a brisk nature walk. The forest is truly enchanting, with the tallest trees you’ve ever seen! And one of the best parts? NO BUGS! Except for banana-slugs…I didn’t see any, but my twin swears that they exist.5. Sausalito, CAWe stopped in Sausalito after Muir Woods on our way back into the city. I wish we could have spent more time in this quaint little town. Located on the edge of the water, it has breathtaking views of San Francisco and beautiful sunsets. It would be the ultimate spot for riding bikes and exploring the rows of shops and restaurants [which we would have done, but it was too cold and we had a dinner reservation to get to].6. Tosca CafeOh my. Mi Amore. Tosca is easily one of the best Italian restaurants I have EVER experienced. Everything I tasted was purely housemade and exploding with flavor! I honestly don’t know how to describe it, so I’ll keep it short; make sure you eat some Foccacia bread, ask for some shaved Parmesan to nibble on, order the Black Bird cocktail, order seconds on the Bucatini, and save some to eat with the dry aged prime strip steak! You won’t regret it!7. Pagan IdolThis has got to be one of the most hilarious and animated bars I have ever visited! You can’t tell by the name, but Pagan Idol is an island-inspired bar, complete with an erupting volcano and Tiki huts! [my fiance described it as a Spongebob episode] They serve beautifully creative cocktails with some of the most interesting garnishes I have ever seen; roasted marshmallows, Rock Candy, shaved nutmeg, etc. TONS of fun and visually stimulating!8. Ferry Building Farmer’s MarketLocated at the Ferry Building Marketplace, this is a MUST on the weekends. I’ve always loved Farmer’s Markets but San Francisco outdoes every one I have ever been to. There is an overwhelming variety of fresh food, local goods, gifts, souvenirs, etc. Come with an empty stomach though – you’ll want to eat everything in sight! I highly recommend the Porchetta sandwich and Nepalese food tent if you can find it!

I am living-proof that you can get your fill of San Francisco in just 2 1/2 days. Just be willing to give up your beauty sleep. And any diet you were consistently trying to maintain.

3 days in San Francisco. I was in this city almost at this exact same time last year and luckily my sister still lives there. We were having twin-withdrawals and I needed to take advantage of her residency before she moves back to Colorado! It was a quick 3-day trip, but there was not a minute wasted. We had an open weekend, lots of energy, and an entire city to explore. The last time I came out, I was moving her out to San Francisco and we did a lot of unpacking and touristy things. This time, we went to all of her favorite places. Which quickly became my favorite places! See? Twins.

If I were to sum up the weekend in three words: walking, eating, shopping. I think walking around in an unfamiliar city is the best way to experience it. And the best part about San Francisco is everyone’s mission to out-do each other! So, when shopping and eating, I felt like I got the best of the best. Best coffee, best chai latte, best Asian food, best Indian food, best chocolate, I could go on and on. I don’t know how I didn’t gain twenty pounds while I was out there. If anyone is going to SF anytime soon, make sure you go to The Hall, iChino, The Boxing Room, and Perbacco. You’ll thank me.

When I wasn’t walking, eating or shopping I got to see some incredible places. Those who know me best know that I prefer being outdoors. My sister took me to Palace of Fine Arts, the marina, Union Square, downtown, and Ocean Beach. I was in outdoor-heaven with so much to see! And the perfect weather was a nice touch too. Woosh, I have no idea how we crammed all of this in 3 days!

I spent the weekend in the city by the bay. I haven’t been to San Francisco since I was little, so this weekend felt like the first time. It was also move-in weekend for my twin sister and I wanted to help her get settled. We had an entire city to explore and one weekend to do as much as possible.

I love quick, spur-of-the-moment trips like this. My ticket was booked two weeks prior and I was pretty stoked for my first ‘travel’ of the year. Hah. But still, it was nice to get away and play tourist in a new city. We did as much as any person could do in one full day. Back-to-back, we hopped all over between Ferry Market, China Town, North Beach, Filmore, Haight, the marina, and Pier 39. We enjoyed the perfect weather outside, walked up and down the steep city hills, and ate at some fabulous restaurants.

I want to live the rest of the year like this. Making spontaneous decisions, especially travel-related. I have a bucket-list of places to visit and I want to cross off a good chunk of them in 2014. Like Rumi says, “Respond to every call that excites your spirit”. I think that will be my resolution for the year.